Ink control means for rotary multicolor printing presses



Sept. 28; 1954 E. E. Bl JRROUGHS INK CONT ROL MEANS FOR ROTARY MULTICOLOR PRINTING PRESSES Filed Ded. 21, 1948 7 Shee ts-Sheet l INVENTOR. Eowm E.BURROUGHS.

By JIM, & 'Lz L L ATTORNEYS.

Sept. 28, 1954 E. E. BURROUGHS 4 ,690,

INK CONTROL MEANS FOR ROTARY MULTICQLOR PRINTING PRESSES I; ATTORNEYS.

Eowm E. BUR-ROUG HS.

Sept. 28, 1954 E. E. BURROUGHS INK CONTROL MEANS FOR ROTARY MULTICOLOR PRINTING PRESSES 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. 21, 1948 INVENTOR. E DWI m E. BUR ROUGHS.

BY MALAWI M ATTokA/Em:

P 954 E. E. BURROUGHS 2,690,120

INK CONTROL MEANS FOR ROTARY MULTICOLOR PRINTING PRESSES Filed Dec. 21, 1948 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 a INVENTOR. Eowm E. BURROUGHS.

I M ATTORNEYS. W

P 1954 E. E. BURROUGHS 2,690,120

INK CONTROL MEANS FOR ROTARY MULTICOLOR PRINTING PRESSES Filed Dec. 21, 1,948

7 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. EDWI N E. BuRRoucHs.

BY M-1L. QILQH ILL-L L; ATTORNEYS.

Sept. 28, 1954 E. E. BURROUGHS INK CONTROL MEANS FOR ROTARY MULTICOLOR PRINTING PRESSES 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Dec. 21, 1948 INVENTOR. EDWIN E.BURROUGHS (M. emu/. M

L4. ATTORNEYS.

Sept. 28, 1954 E. E. BURROUGHS INK CONTROL MEANS FOR ROTARY MULTICOLOR PRINTING PRESSES 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed Dec. 21, 1948 I INVENTOR. EDWIN E. BURROUGHS.

WM, Cm) 2Q 1W1.

ATTOR/VEKS.

will be too long andviceversa.

Patented Sept. 28, 1954 INK CONTROL MEANS FOR ROTARY MULTICOLOR PRINTING PRESSES EdwinE. Burroughs, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to St. Regis Paper Company, New York, N. Y., a

corporation of New York Application December 21, 1948, Serial No. 66,417

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to printing presses, and more particularly tomeans for bringing into: ad.- Justment the peripheral speed-sot impression and platecylinders of such presses. The invention alsorelates to. means for governing the. quantity of ink supplied to each one of the plurality of plate cylinders of a printing press;

Printing presses or the type with which the present invention is employed: comprise, for example, a main printing roll or impression cylinder which is mounted for rotation normally about a horizontal axis and has: distributed about it. in printing relation therewith a plurality of smaller printing rolls or plate cylinders; each for printing a different color. Associatectwith each. of the plate cylinders is an ink transfer device. including a series oftransier-rollsby means of which ink is conveyed from a reservoir to the respective plate cylinder and thence to a web of sheet material such as: paper. It is usual for a: web from. an unwind roll of paper to be led tothe press and directed around the impression cylinder in such a manner that the web passes in between the latter cylinder and each of the impression cylinders, the print being transferredv to the web by the plate cylinders. Thereafter the. web is directed to a rewind roll in a convenient location.

One or more of. such plate cylinders can be employed, there being usually at, least three comprising. a set, and. in: many cases: four plate cylinders comprise. a set. One set. of plates cylinders is, of course, employed; for each separate composite impression which is to be transferred to the web; and? thus'a: given printing press may be provided with several score or more sets of plate cylinders.

It is, of course, necessary for the peripheral speeds of. the impression cylinder and the plate cylinders associated therewithto be identical in order to avoid defectiveprinting. For example, if' the speed of. a platev cylinder is slower than that: of the impression cylinder, the impression It has been past practice to connect mechanically the plate cylinder and common impression cylinders to a main or common drive such as a power unit comprising an electric motor. Usually each set of plate cylinders will difier indiameter from another set of plate cylinders; Consequently, when a change ismade from a set of. plate cylinders having a given diameter to another set with a different diameter, it has been; necessary in the past to employ a separate change gear for each plate cylinder tointerconnect same to the common power sourceinorder to obtain the desired equality of peripheral speeds of the plate and impression cylinders. Thus when a plate cylinder of a diiiering diameter is installed upon the press, a change gear of differing diameter must be, installed therewith.

Thus in the case, for example, where there are three hundred sets of plate cylinders (of four cylinders each) for a given press, it is necessary to have twelve hundred change gears, that is, one change gear for each of the plate cylinders.

It is, of course, expensive to provide a; separate change gear for each plate cylinder.

In order to eliminate the multiplicity of change gears for such plate cylinders, it has been suggested that the impression cylinder be: driven at a constant speed and that the plate cylinders be driven ,by an adjustable speed control unit tobring same to the desired peripheral velocity. However, in order to determine a proper plate cylinder speed with such apparatus, it has been necessary actually to print or run through the press a certain amount of paper in order to get a sample of the print length- If the print length was too short, it was necessary toincrease: the plate cylinder speed and vice versa. By a series of trials and errors involving starting and stopping the machine many times, the proper print length finally may be obtained, whereupon it was known that the surface speeds of the plate and impression cylinders were identical.

In such prior apparatus it has been impossible to make an adjustment for obtaining a: proper print length while the machine was in operation. Thus prior apparatus inthis respect have been undesirable and time consuming.

Furthermore, in presses of this character heretofore proposed wherein a plurality of plate cylinders are employed, for example, one plate cylinder for each color to be printed, no satisfactory means have been heretofore suggested for accurately controlling, while the press is in operation, the quantity of ink transferred from an ink reservoir to each of the plate cylinders. For example, a portion of the web to be printed may require red ink to be applied to a large area thereof for each separate composite impression and. another part of the impression may require, for example, a small amount of blue ink. In order to avoid loss of time due to press stoppage, it is very desirable to. be able to adjust the ink transfer mechanism, while the press is in operation, to a point where an absolute minimum amount of ink. of each. color is applied that isnecessary toefiect goodv printing.

One of the objects of the present invention is to overcome the above difficulties or to reduce same to insignificance.

The invention in one aspect thereof comprises novel speed matching means for equalizing the surface speeds of the plate cylinders and the impression cylinder, whereby only a single master change gear need be employed for each set of plate cylinders instead of employing a change gear for each plate cylinder as has been necessary in the past. Such speed matching can be accomplished while the machine is in operation with a web running therethrough or prior to the insertion of the web. The master change gear may be rotated either in direct contact with the impression cylinder by means of teeth, for sample, upon the periphery of the latter or through the intermediary of an idler gear which is in mesh with said peripheral teeth and the master change gear. Thus the surface speed of the master change gear is identical to the surface speed. of the impression cylinder. A speed indicator is moved in accordance with the R. P. M. of the master change gear.

The diameters of the master change gear and of the plate cylinders are equal. Thus, if the R. P. M. of the plate cylinders are brought into equality with the R. P. M. of the master change gear, then the surface or peripheral speeds of the impression cylinder, the plate cylinders, and the master change gear (at the pitch diameter) will be identical.

All of the plate cylinders are driven by a common power source which can be the same power source for the impression cylinder. However, a plate cylinder master variable speed control unit is operatively connected to all of the plate cylinders and capable of minute adjustment of the angular velocity thereof. Also a plate cylinder speed indicator is driven in response to the R. P. M. of the plate cylinders. plate cylinder master speed control unit, it is possible to bring into equality the R. P. M. of the master change gear and of the plate cylinders.

One form of the master change gear speed indicator comprises a pointer which is rotatable at a speed which is a preselected function of the speed of the master change gear. The plate cylinder speed indicator may be a pointer which is rotatable co-axially with and adjacent to the other speed indicator, and at an angular velocity which bears the same relation to that of the plate cylinders as that of the master change gear and its speed indicator. Thus by virtue of the equality of diameters of the single master change gear and all of the plate cylinders, when the R. P. M. of the change gear is matched with the R. P. M. of the plate cylinders, by maintaining said pointers in alignment, the surface speeds thereof will be the same. It is understood that the impression cylinder is always driven at a constant angular velocity in order to avoid the necessity of altering the web and paper roll speeds. However, it is within the purview of the invention to rotate the plate cylinders at a constant velocity and to adjust the speed of the impression cylinder.

The invention in another aspect thereof comprises means for saving many thousands of dollars, worth of printing ink per year by virtue of a novel individual ink transfer adjustment means for each plate cylinder, the adjustment of such means being possible during the operation of the press. Each of the plate cylinders is provided with an ink transfer device which includes an ink fountain roll, an oscillatable ductor roll, and at By adjusting the least one ink transfer roll. The ductor roll is mounted for oscillation between the ink fountain roll and an ink transfer roll. Means are provided for jointly oscillating the ductor roll and angularly shifting the ink fountain roll. Of course, the quantity of ink transferred to the plate cylinder can be minutely adjusted by governing the frequency of oscillation of said ductor roll, together with the angular velocity of the ink fountain roll. A separate variable speed control unit is employed for each of said ink transfer devices whereby close adjustment of said frequency of oscillation and angular velocity of the ductor roll and ink fountain roll can be made while the machine is in operation.

Various, further and more specific objects, features and advantages of the invention will clearly appear from the detailed description given below taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification and illustrate, by way of example, preferred arrangements of apparatus for carrying out the invention. The invention consists in such novel combinations of features as may be shown and described in connection with the apparatus herein disclosed.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a schematic representation of one form of apparatus for carrying out the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a printing press embodying the invention;

Fig. 3 is a schematic plan view of one type of adjustable speed control unit which can be em ployed in the present invention;

Fig. 4 is a side view partly in section and with parts broken away illustrating one form of means for operatively interconnecting the variable speed control unit and a plurality of plate cylinders of the press;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view of a portion of the apparatus illustrating an operative interconnection between a speed indicator for the impression cylinder and said cylinder;

Fig. 7 is a side View of the parts shown in Fig. *6;

Fig. 8 is a front view of a so-called follow the pointer speed indicator unit embodying a pair of speed indicators or pointers, one for the plate cylinders and one for the impression cylinder;

Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken substantially on line @--9 of Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a side view partly in section and with parts broken away of an ink transfer device employed in the present invention;

Fig. 11 is a transverse view also partly in section and with parts broken away showing details of an ink metering unit employed as a part of the device shown in Fig. 10; and

Fig. 12 is a perspective View of a portion of a ratchet wheel and an associated cam which are employed in the unit shown in Fig. 11.

Peripheral speed matching means for impression and plate cylinders Referring to the drawings in greater detail, the press comprises in general an impression cylinder 25': mounted for rotation in a conventional manner upon a horizontal A plurality of plate cylinders all of equal diameter are mounted for rotation in printing relationship with the impression cylinder 23 upon axes which are, of course, parallel to the axis of rotation of the impression cylinder. In the form shown, four age -12o Said gear train and its immediately associated shafts and elements are constituted by an input sleeve 58 which is engaged'by said shaft 54 and is keyed to a bevel gear 59 (Fig. The latter is in mesh with a bevel gear 60 to which is secured a shaft (ii for driving the respective input gears of the differentials 4! and d3. Output shafts 62 and 63 are connected to said diiferentials respectively for drivably associating same with the two lower plate cylinders 22 and E l-through the inter.- mediary of suitable bevel gear interconnections contained in suitable housingsas at 64 and 65.

Through an idler gear 66 and a gear t1 torque is communicated to an input shaft 68 for the upper two differentials ie and 42 which are connected to the plate cylinders 2| and 23 by means of output shafts 59 and 10, respectively, in a-manner similar to that described above concerning the lower pair of differentials ti and 43.

It will be understood that the differentials 40, 4| and it are provided respectively with hand adjustment wheels as at H, 12 and 13 which govern their respective differentials in a manner similar to handwheel 44 for adjusting differential 42. 0

Output shafts 69 and 1B are associated with their respective plate cylinders 2| and 23 by means of suitable mechanism such as bevel gears analogous to those employed with output shafts 62 and 53. These mechanisms for interconnecting said output shafts 62, 63, 69 and to their respective plate cylinders are not changeable with each substitution of a plate cylinder or a set of plate cylinders .of differing diameter but are adapted for use with all sizes of such cylin-- ders regardless of diameter. I

Said output shafts B2, B3, S9 and 16 are splined and are of substantial length. Also, they are adapted for telescopic engagement with their respective gear trains for interconnecting same to the plate cylinders in order to maintain a driving connection therewith when the frames 21, 39 and 33, 34 are shifted on base 25 to accommodate plate cylinders of differing diameters.

With respect to the operations which have been necessary in the past for the changing of a plate cylinder, it has heretofore been required to remove: (1) a cylinder shaft therefor; and.(2) the entire cylinder with its change gear. In the present apparatus, a tapered lug is provided at each extremity of each cylinder for supporting same. These lugs can be provided with suitable bearings and are axially shiftable in such a manner that they can be moved outwardly a short distance to permit easy lifting out of the plate cylinder. Thus it is not necessary to removema shaft.

When a set of plate cylinders as 21-24, inclusive, are first installed upon the press, it is, of course, necessary to bring the peripheral speeds thereof to a point precisely equal to the peripheral speed of the impression cylinder 20. This can be done quickly while the apparatus is in operation by matching the R. P. M. of the plate cylinders with the R. P. M. of a master change gear M which has a pitch diameter equal to the diameter of said plate cylinders and which is driven by the impression cylinder. The manner for operatively interconnecting the master change gear 14 and the impression cylinder 20 can be by (a) direct meshing engagement with teeth as at 20c (Fig. 6) formed upon the periphery of the impression cylinder, or (1)) through the intermediary of an idler gear as at 15.

It is preferable to employ the latter operative easily removed.

.ample, a worm and wheel (Figs. 4, 6, 8

interconnection-in order to permit the use of a wide range of diameters of the master change gear. ;The intermediate or idler gear 15, as shownv in Figs. 1 and 6, can be mounted upon an arm it which is angularly shiftable about ,the axis of the impression cylinder 20. Thus, when a master change gear of different diameter relative .to that last used is installed upon the apparatus,-it is necessary only to shift the arm 16 slightly to accommodate same and to provide .a desired drivable connection between the impression cylinder-and said change gear.

Under such circumstances it is, of course, desirable for the shaft upon which the master change gear is installed to be in a fixed position. Such a shaft is-shown as at 11 (Fig. 6) from which the master change gear 14 can be quickly and In view ofthe fact that the pitch diameter of the master change gear 14 is identical with the diameters of the plate cylinders, the peripheral speeds of the impression cylinder and the plate cylinders will be identical provided the angular velocity of the plate cylinders is brought into equality withthe angular velocity of the master change gear.

Novel means are provided for so adjusting the angular velocity of said plate cylinders with that of the master-change gear 14 comprising a speed indicator 18 shown in detail in Figs. 8 and 9 and indicated schematically in Fig. 1. This indicator is a-so-called' follow the pointer unit having one pointer element as at 19 which is rotatable at a speed which is a preselected function of the speed of the plate cylinders by means of a suitable operative interconnection comprising, for exand 9), a shaft 8| and suitable miter gears as at 82 (Figs. 4 and 5) which interconnect the latter to the shaft of the above-described idler gear 66.

Another pointer element 83 is provided for coaxial rotation in .a plane substantially coincident-with the plane of rotation of element 19. Pointer element 83 is operatively interconnected to the master change gear 14 for angular movement at a speed which is also a preselected function of the speed of said change gear, said preselected functions being identical. The operativeinterconnection between the pointer element 83 and the master change gear 14, in the embodiment shown, comprises a worm and wheel 84 (Fig. 6), a shaft 85 and another worm and wheel 86.

As viewed in Figs. 8 and 9, it will be seen that the pointer element 83 is formed upon a disc member 83a, thelatter being rigidly attached to the wheel portion of the worm and wheel connection 84. The pointer element 19 is rigidly attached to a shaft 190. which is drivably connected to the wheel of the worm and wheel 88 above described.

In operation of the speed control means, the impression cylinder 20 is driven at a substantially constant angular velocity and thus at a substantially constant peripheral speed. When a set of plate cylinders is installed upon the press all of a preselected equal diameter they will be driven -,jointly by the electric motor 38 which drives the impression cylinder 20. However, in order to adjust all of the cylinders to a common peripheral velocity, it is necessary only to adjust the handwheel 55 of the master plate cylinder speed control unit 39 to bring the pointer element '59 into alignment with the pointer element 83, whereby these elements will move together in synchrochange gearwhich is rotated witha peripheral speed identical to that of the impression cylinder.

The speed adjustment can be made while the apparatus is inoperation and without tedious and time-consuming periods of arrested movement of the cylinders and without tedious-measurementsof print length-which heretofore have -'0f necessity been made after intermittent starting and stopping-of the apparatus.

'In'lc metering device :Referring in particular to Figs. .1, 10, l1 and '12,

the novel. ink metering deviceis constituted by the combination of a plurality of variable-speed .control units, one for each ink transfer device.

These speed control units are operatively interconnected only to respective oscillating ductor rolls and ink fountain rolls as will appear more fully hereinafter.

Operatively associated with respective of said plate cylinders are the above-mentioned ink transfer devices 28, 29, 36 and 31. Only one of these ink transfer devices, a 28, will be described in detail, it being understood that the others are analogous thereto.

As shown in Fig. 1, the ink transfer device 28, for plate cylinder 2|, is constituted by a cluster of ink transfer rolls 8?, an angularly shiftable ink fountain roll 88 which is immersed in a reservoir of ink, and an oscillatable ductor roll 89 which is adapted for oscillation between the ink fountain roll 88 and one of the rolls of the cluster Bl.

As schematically indicated in Fig. l, the ductor roll 89 is supported upon a forked end bearing arm 99 which is angularly movable about a ductor pivot shaft 9!. The arm 95;- is shifted back and forth under the influence of a ductor cam 92 rotatable upon a shaft 93 which is operatively connected to the arm 99 by means of a roller 94 which rests upon the cam 92 and conveys oscillatory movement to the arm 99 by means of a lever 95 which mounts said roller 94 and is rigidly secured to the ductor pivot shaft 8 I The ink fountain roll 88 is preferably not shifted in uniform angular movement but rather in intermittent angular movement through theintermediary of a crank device which operates a ratchet and pawl in a well known manner. As shown in Figs. 10 and 11, a crank arm 96 is secured to the cam shaft 93 and has a roller 91 attached thereto which is movable within a slot 98 of a pawl-carrying arm or rock lever 99, the latter being pivoted at Ito and carrying a pawl IDI for engagement with a ratchet wheel I02.

Rotation of the shaft 93 will simultaneously produce oscillation of the ductor roll 89 and intermittent angular movement of the fountain roll 88.

It may be desired to control the number of teeth of the ratchet wheel I02 which the pawl IIII can engage, thereby to adjust the extent of angular movement of the fountain roll 88 for each revolution of shaft 93. This can be accomplished by an adjustable pawl cam I03 (Fig. 12) having a high portion I 03a which can be moved beneath the pawl I (ll to hold the latter out of engagement with any desired number of teeth within the range of its angular movement.

Power is communicated to the shaft 93 preferably from the common electric motor 38 but through the intermediary of a variable speed control'unit ltd which can be similar to the unit 39 56 ofthe unit 39.

Eachof the corresponding ductor roll, ink fountain roll mechanisms of the ink transfer devices 2%, 3t and 31 are respectively provided with separate variable speed control units W5, I and H37.

It is desirable for the cluster of ink transfer rolls 8? to be driven-by suitable operativein'terconnection with the motor 33 without the intervention of a variable speed unit, the same being true with respect to corresponding roll clusters of the other ink transfer devices.

In operation of the ink metering devices'torque is transmitted from the electric motor '38 to all of the variable speed control units 104-101, inelusive, which in turn transmits the torque to the respective shafts analogous to shaft '93 (Fig. 11). The control of ductor roll frequency of oscillation, together with the angular speed of the ink fountain roll, is segregated in a single unit unconnected with the ink transfer rolls 8? and the control of these two elements (ductor roll and ink fountain roll) is jointly effected by means of an individual speed control unit. By adjustment of handwheel Ill la of the unit Ifi l, it is possible to accomplish very minute adjustments in the quantity of ink transferred to the plate cylinder 2:. The same is true with respect to the other speed control units HES-I97, inclusive. It is possible by means of said speed control units individually to meter the ink of each ink transfer device, while the apparatus is in operation, to an absolute minimum amount necessary to produce satisfactory printing.

While the invention has been described with respect to certain preferred examples which have given satisfactory results, it will be understood by those skilled in the art, after understanding the invention, that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and it is intended, therefore, in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications.

What is claimed as new and is desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a multi-color printing press, an impression cylinder; a plurality of plate cylinders mounted for pressing a web of sheet material against said impression cylinder in printing relation therewith; a like plurality of ink transfer units, there being one such unit for transferring ink to each plate cylinder, each of such ink transfer units including: an ink fountain roll, a ductor roll, the latter roll being mounted for oscillation between said fountain roll and an ink transfer roll of such unit, and means for angularly advancing said fountain roll a selected angular incremont; a like plurality of manually adjustable variable speed control units, each unit being drivably connected jointly to its respective ductor roll for oscillating same and to its respective fountain roll angular advancing means; said variable speed control units being so drivably connected for varying such frequency of oscillation and the rate of such angular advancement in the same direction; and means for adjusting the extent of such increment of angular advancement of said fountain roll.

2. In a multi-color printin press, an impression cylinder; a plurality of plate cylinders mounted for rotation pressed toward said impression cylinder whereby a web of sheet material is pressed therebetween; a like plurality of ink transfer units for respective of said plate cylinders, each of said ink transfer units including an ink fountain roll, a ductor roll, and means for oscillating said ductor roll for engaging during its oscillation its respective fountain roll and an ink transfer roll of such unit; means for angularly advancing said fountain roll a selected angular increment; means for adjusting such increment and a like plurality of manually adjustable variable speed control devices, each such device being drivably connected jointly to its respective ductor roll oscillatin means and fountain roll angular advancing means whereby the frequency of operation of each such pair of jointly driven elements can be adjusted manually and separately with respect to the frequency of operation of other such jointly driven pairs of elements; each of such variable speed control devices varying in the same direction such frequencies of its respective ductor and fountain rolls.

References Cited Number UNITED STATES PATENTS in the file of this patent Name Date Scott Apr. 20, 189'? Pancoast June 20, 1905 Smith July 24, 1917 McIndoe Dec. 16, 1924 Smith et a1. Dec. 2, 1930 Tornberg Dec. 16, 1930 Jamison July 21, 1931 Andresen Jan. 19, 1932 Wood -1 Oct. 22, 1935 Barber Oct. 13, 1936 Harless Oct. 24, 1939 Roesen June 2, 1942 

